Simple Hedonisms

Archive for the ‘Wine Reviews’ Category

If I had a few lifetimes, I am not sure it would be enough to learn enough about wine, especially the many unique wine varietals out there. Italy represents a lifetime of study itself. Italy’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry  has documented over 350 grapes and granted them “authorized” status. (With many more in circulation.) Sadly most US wine consumers are only familiar a handful, and mostly red. I have to confess, the landscape of Italian wines is one I have really tackled yet. This Grecant is a wine that makes me realize I need to get started.

My interest was immediately piqued when I was contacted if I want a sample. I don’t get as many imported wine samples as I’d like, and when I do they are often mass made budget wines of lower quality or over planted varietals planted in countries where they didn’t exist, perhaps at the expense of native varietals.

About Grechetto

Grechetto (or Grechetto Bianco) is an Italian wine grape of Greek origins. The grape is is found most commonly in the Umbria region where it is used in the Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) wine Orvieto. It is primarily a blending grape, though some varietal wine is also produced, such as this one. Grechetto is commonly blended with Chardonnay, Malvasia, Trebbiano and Verdello. The grape’s thick skin provides good resistance to downy mildew which can attack the grape late in the harvest season.

During the Renaissance many wines were known as “Greco, Grecante, Grechetto”. Montefalco’s Grecante was one of the most appreciated, indeed the head of the Municipality of Montefalco used to sent it as a precious gift to princes and important clergymen. Arnaldo Caprai’s Grecante keeps this long tradition alive.

About Arnaldo Caprai Winery

The Arnaldo Caprai winery extends for about 370 acres, 136 of which are planted. The vineyards are located in the area of Montefalco, rich in history and winemaking tradition. The main white grapes grown in the region include Grechetto, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon, while Sagrantinois the leading red variety together with Sangiovese, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wine Review - Grecante Grechetto dei Colli Martani DOC

To The Eye: Clear, bright yellow straw

On The Nose: Notes of honeysuckle, white peach

In The Mouth: Layers of melon, peach, citrus. The wine has an excellent balance of mouth feel and weight that isn’t cloying, combined with great acidity. It delivers front, mid palate, and a great lingering finish. More complex than an unoaked chardonnay, or a sauvignon blanc, but still easy to drink and fun. A pleasure to drink solo, and would pair well with a wide variety of foods, especially seafood or chicken.

Recommendation: Buy, drink, have fun. This wine is versatile both with food pairings, and seasons. An excellent value with a price of $15-$20. Distributed throughout the US by Folio Wine. Media Sample (I’d gladly buy more of.)

91 Points

Vinification & Geek Info: 

• Aged 3 months in Stainless, 3 months in Bottle
• 13% alcohol
• TA 5.48 g/l
• pH (at bottling) 3.07
• Production ~3000 cases

Freestone – another of my unsung favorite producers. I fell in love with their tasting room and wines 3 years ago when I first visited. Everything about a Freestone experience is casual and relaxed, but first class.  I am hoping to get out sometime again for a photo shoot and visit  soon, but until then, take my word for it, and enjoy the relaxed drive to this  gem.

I was lucky enough to receive a pre-release Media sample of this Pinot Noir. Its not been released to the public just yet, so this is a a teaser, but should be soon.

The 2009 Freestone is from the Estate Pastorale and Quarter Moon vineyards.

2009 Freestone Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast, Estate

To The Eye: Opulent brick red color

On The Nose: A bouquet of red fruit and cranberry with lingering aroma of spice.

In The Mouth: A cornucopia of pleasant experiences for your palate. A bit young and tight when first opened, after a few minutes in the glass this beauty quickly becomes endearing. Give her a swirl.  This Pinot Noir dances in the mouth with cherry, bright cranberry, hints of other red fruits, spice, and earth.

This wonderful Pinot Noir delivers in the front and mid palate, and doesn’t disappoint in the finish, as it lingers and teases, making you yearn for another taste.

Recommendation: Highly Recommended. 92 points. Buy.  Drink. Ideally hold and cellar and extra bottle if you can –  this Pinot Noir has acidity and structure to age and gain complexity, although I am not sure if i could leave it alone if in my cellar. $55.  Media Sample.

Vinification Notes:  15 months in French oak barrels, 55% new, 45% two-three year old. Alcohol 13.5%.

Clouds Restseems to be catching the wave in their reputation as a cult small, higher end,  Pinot Noir producer. Any event I have seen them pouring at, from SF Vintners Market to Pinot on the River re-affirms that, as the line to get a

Courtesy of Clouds Rest Facebook page

pour is usually a few persons deep.

I personally feel  its a good idea for a wine producer to have  a white wine to compliment their red portfolio, so was pleased to taste their Chardonnay. (Turns out they have a Sauvignon Blanc as well, who knew.)

Tasting Notes – Clouds Rest 2009 North Coast Chardonnay

To The Eye: Clear, medium  yellow straw.

On The Nose:  Tropical notes of pineapple, lemon, citrus, and some  toasted coconut

In The Mouth: An elegant, balanced, Chardonnay. This represents an excellent balance between a high acid, bright, unoaked Chardonnay, and a over oaked classic California butter bomb. Good mouth feel, some minerality,  and good acidity, this wine asks  for a food pairing of seafood, roasted chicken, or pasta with cream sauce. A good crowd pleaser too for the upcoming Holiday’s.

Recommendation: Buy and drink or hold. This Chardonnay drinks very well at present, but has the acidity and structure to gain some complexity with cellaring – I would recommend  laying a few bottles down, as a properly made Chardonnay with a few years of age can be beautiful thing. If you like your Chardonnay with less detectible oak,  its presence (not overwhelming by any means)  will integrate further in the next 12 months.   90 Points.

Where to Buy: Online.  $45. (Media Sample.) Clouds Rest wines are also available in California restaurants and retail shops including John Ash, Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay, the Healdsburg Wine Shop, Draeger’s, and more. For a full list, click here.

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/CloudsRestWine

It seems I am forever playing catchup on giving wineries the recognition they deserve on Simple Hedonisms. Certainly I do a lot more mentions in the social media realm of Twitter and Facebook, to my active following, but they are long overdue for a review.

About Jordan Winery: Showcasing Sonoma At It’s Finest

Jordan is an extraordinary winery in many ways, and a rare breed in many as well.

Focus: Jordan only makes two wines, something incredibly rare for a winery of any size. An elegant Chardonnay, and a ‘less masculine’ Cabernet Sauvignon.

Tradition: Founded in 1972 by Tom Jordan, now run by son John Jordan, the winery has a well earned reputation for its elegance,

Photo courtesy of Jordan Website

world class wines, and customer service. Its also one of the rapidly disappearing ‘medium size wineries. Not a boutique winery making 5000 cases, and not a giant making 1 Million cases a year, but the difficult ~90,000 case range that has a unique set of challenges competing on either side.

Wineries in this size category continue to sell and merge, or in some cases over the years, dramatically downsize and spin off.  Jordan continues to adapt, innovate, and do well.

Innovation: Jordan is a winery to watch for their innovative marketing, writing, and award winning video blog. John Jordan has done a noteworthy job hiring and enabling Lisa Mattson, Executive Director of Communications.

Lisa blazes a trail for the rest of the industry to follow. (Why wineries don’t recognize marketing staff on their ‘people page’  still eludes me.)

Do read and follow: http://blog.jordanwinery.com/

Hospitality: I have witnessed the Jordan experience both as a consumer and wine industry/trade, and its always warm, impeccable, and high class, but lacking ‘other valley’ pretention – aka Sonoma at its finest. I am fortunate enough to receive media invitations several times a year to Jordan events, and even in a world where these eventually can become a bit tedious, am grateful for the invitation, and look forward to the experience. Jordan’s kitchen, and Todd Knoll Executive Chef are amazing – you are in for a treat if ever here for a meal.

See: Jordan Winery Glampire Ball; Cool Halloween (And other Holiday) Cocktails

In Defense of Chardonnay

It’s a bit ironic that as a person noted for his love of Rhone and off the beaten path varietals, that I have championed chardonnay. Why? I actually respect and like almost all wine varieties, and think we have sometimes lost our way, or forgotten how diverse wine can, or should be.  Few varietals express such a wide range of diversity as chardonnay – you need only be open mind, look around a bit, and taste more  - its worth the adventure.

There are Other Options

Yet, I had to drag people, including industry professionals, to my chardonnay tasting  this summer (at which Jordan poured.) At the tasting, by design, I featured non traditional California chardonnay – that classic bigger oak & buttery chardonnay made popular by Kendall Jackson, Rombeur and others. Without a doubt , this style appeals to the masses and dominates chardonnay sales. However, it represents only one possible style of many that chardonnay is capable of, and not only produced in Burgundy and Chablis, France, but by many small vintners here in California.

For more on Chardonnay, and how people CAN change their opinions see:

Seeing California Chardonnay in a New Light: #Chardonnay Day Greenhouse Tasting, Attendees Top Picks. 

Wine Review: Jordan 2009 Russian River Valley Chardonnay 

To The Eye: Clear pale to medium yellow.

On the Nose: Green apple, Meyer lemon, honeysuckle, pineapple

In The Mouth: – A delight. Great acidity, clean crisp mouthfeel with good weight mid palate. This chardonnay delivers as a stand alone, or paired with white meats and fish, salads, and cheeses.

Recommendation: Highly Recommend. Not your standard California ‘cougar juice’ (a term used to refer to Rombauer like oaky, buttery chardonnay) and also not as bright as an unoaked chardonnay – thus a more versatile wine overall. Buy and consume, (especially during Holiday season, pairs great with turkey.) Or cellar a few bottles as well, a well made chardonnay, with good acidity will age well.

92 Points, Outstanding.

Where to Buy: Jordan has distribution throught the country in wine shops and restaurants. You may also buy it online at http://store.jordanwinery.com/ . $29 retail. Media Sample.

Vinification Notes:    Chardonnay is a extremely diverse wine grape with huge variation in results based on winemaking tools. Learn to identify what’s been done and what you like, to better appreciate this varietal.

Cold fermentation occurred in French oak barrels (with one quarter in stainless steel). After three months of sur-lie aging and batonnage, the wine underwent only 36% malolactic fermentation  to retain its bright acidity. With a portion resting in stainless steel, the remaining 72% of the wine was aged in 100% French oak (56% new) for 5.5 months

Wine Geek Info:

• APPELLATION: Russian River Valley
• BLEND: 100% Chardonnay
• PH: 3.35
• ALCOHOL LEVEL: 13.8%
• BOTTLING DATES: July 19 – August 5, 2010
• RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2011

2009 Jordan Chardonnay Video Tasting Notes

Great video! Look for the notes on  ”holding back on the oak” “more minerality” – which contribute to the success of the wine, in my opinion.

Related Articles

Jordan Winery Glampire Ball; Cool Halloween (And other Holiday) Cocktails

Seeing California Chardonnay in a New Light: #Chardonnay Day Greenhouse Tasting, Attendees Top Picks. Up Next – Aug 18 Pinot Day

 Chardonnay regains respect – now to maintain it (SF Chronicle – Jon Bonne’)

If you listened in to last weeks KRSO Drive at 5 Wine Wednesday Show, which I guest host, this week we interviewed Foppiano Vineyards, and I teased they were also my planned wine of the week…..Tada – a few days later than planned, here it is.

115 Harvests Under Their Belt

Courtesy of Foppiano Website

Foppiano is one of those comeback stories I love to see. The story of Foppiano Vineyards is a family epic full of tradition, perseverance and contributions to the history of Sonoma County and the wine industry.  Founded in 1896 by Giovanni Foppiano, Foppiano Vineyards is one of Sonoma County’s oldest continually-operated, family-owned wineries.

California and Sonoma has a fair number of seasoned wineries, and sadly some don’t innovate along with times, and sometimes fade into the twilight. It has been exciting to watch Foppiano these last 18 months innovate and inject new blood and outside talent (new winemaker Natalie West and Marketing/Media Guru Taylor Eason, to name two) as well as retain and leverage their deep Russian River Valley heritage. (A note to Foppiano – put these people on your website – its a positive – their story is now your story.)

Foppiano is on the move, their wines are one to taste and to watch. Their Pinot Noir was a RRV judges favorite in the elimination round of my Pinot Smackdown tasting, and is a great value. Their new Lot 96 Petite Sirah jug program is brilliant, and an amazing value, and this Rosé is a find….well while its left.

Wine Review: Foppiano Vineyards 2010 Estate Rosé

This rosé is a unique combination of Petite Sirah and Pinot Noir, the two flagship red varieties of Foppiano. I was curious how the combination would turn out, and very pleased with the results.

To The Eye: A dark rose’, almost light red. Not surprising given the Petite Sirah component. Clear and vibrant.

On The Nose:  Expressive nose of cherry, spice, strawberry.

In the Mouth: The combination of Pinot Noir and Petite Sirah is suprising and brilliant. The Pinot Noir provides nice fruit, acidity, and a subtle touch, the Petite Sirah some color, structure, and complexity. Its a winning combination with a mouthful of red fruit, cherry, and citrus. Pleasant in the front palate, nice weight in the mid palate, and good acidity makes for a mouth watering finish.

Recommendation: Get over your thing about Rosé – real wine drinkers seek Rosé far and wide; and its enjoyable all year long, not just for summer. Except this one may not be, as only 20 cases  (of the 180 made) are left in the tasting room. Buy some, now. Highly Recommended – 91 points.

Where to Buy: Online or in the Tasting Room. A buy at $15. Media Sample.

Video Tasting Notes: Check out Taylor Eason and Natalie West in this Informative Video on the Rosé

Visit Foppiano and ‘The Eastside Bunch’

Foppiano is one of 12 wineries in a fun group called the “Eastside Bunch”  October 29th is the “Eastside Bunch Bounty of Harvest.”

Cruise through all the Eastside Bunch wineries on and off Old Redwood Highway south of Healdsburg to celebrate this year’s grape harvest in the beautiful Russian River Valley. Taste wines from all 12 member wineries and nosh appetizers to raise funds for the Redwood Empire Food Bank. PLUS, a new addition to the Eastside Bunch event line-up: Check off every winery in your Eastside Bunch Passport and gain a chance to win a mixed case of wine from all the participating wineries. $20 in advance,  $25 at the door, $10 for designated driver tickets - Check in at any Eastside Bunch Member winery.

I am overdue to write about Quivira. In the same vein as my review of Tablas Creek a few months ago, I am negligent in not reviewing Quivira. Certainly they are a winery I always recommend to Rhone lovers, as well as visitors to Dry Creek Valley.  (I should note they also make Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc.) There is lots to like  about this winery and their wines.

I joined Quivira’s wine club on my first visit some years ago, and they have always taken excellent care of me, first as a consumer, and then as I migrated into wine writing and geeking. They are also a staunch advocate of the Rhone Rangers and GM, Director of Marketing Nancy Bailey has been very supportive in our new North Coast Rhone Rangers chapter about to emerge.

My once large stable of personal wine clubs has dwindled, thanks in part to the expense of the new farm, (grenache) vineyard, and the new wine label, and departure from my non wine job. Add to the fact my cellar is out of control with >1000 bottles, and the fact that as an , recognized member of Media after two years, samples and industry discounts are normal. (And always greatly appreciated, writing is a labor of love.) Quivira has remained in my ‘Queue’ , both due to their quality of wines & dedication to Rhone varieties, as well as the personal attention they give their members.  (Thanks Stephanie!)

Quivira also has an excellent wine club, with a feature I love. The first 30 days of a new release to wine club, Queue members benefit from the ”30 for 30″ re-order opportunity:

Taste your wine club shipment, re-order within 30 days, and get 30% off – that’s on par with Industry pricing.  They also have excellent future pricing every year for Wine Road Barrel tasting, which I take advantage of to buy a case of Mourvedre.

The hospitality and marketing team seems to be better than ever, and winemaker Hugh Chappelle, who came over from Pinot producer Lynmar, seems to have found an excellent home, of mutual respect and appreciation,  allowing him to express the creativity that exists in all talented artisans, winemakers included. Hugh is a great addition to the Quivira family.

In addition to having a strong Rhone program,  Quivira is a committed member of the certified  Biodynamic community, with  gorgeous gardens,  chickens, cows and more. The property and tasting room is worth a visit, and their Farm to Table dinners are not to be missed. After spending several days earlier this year at the Paul Dolan biodynamic writers camp, I have a new appreciation for the commitment to the process and our planet.

 Quivira Vineyards 2009 Grenache, Dry Creek Valley

Its appropriate that I picked a Grenache this week, albeit it more by chance, as I actually reviewed the wine last week. Recently, I wrote that Sept 23rd is Grenache Day. Quivira is one of the wineries attending my tasting, and will be pouring the 2009 Grenache.

Review:

To The Eye: Clear lively medium red

On The Nose:  Cranberry, red berries,  grenache red hard candy (love that!), spice

In the Mouth: Classic Grenache profile  in the mouth; expressive but balanced red fruit, good structure but not as tannic (yay!) as several previous vintages, thanks to a more forgiving season. Supple tannins, nice acidity. Would pair well with many foods, ranging from Grilled fare and burgers, to leaner cuts of meat and lamb. A wine with both body and elegance.

Learn to train your palate you don’t need to have your taste buds crushed by excessive oak and tannins to be ‘good.’ This vintage is an excellent training ground for the wine lover looking to broaden past Cabernet, and perhaps not yet in love with Pinot Noir. (You will be one day though. )

Recommendation.  Buy and drink now, or cellar for a few years. 92 points.  Retail $26 online. Media Sample – although I purchased several bottles via my Queue Club shipments.

Wine Geek Info:

• APPELLATION Dry Creek Valley (Wine Creek Ranch Vineyard)
• VARIETAL MIX 92% Grenache, 6% Mourvedre, 2% Syrah
• FERMENTATION Open top fermentors, native yeast
• AGING A mixture of small French and eastern European oak as well as traditional 600-gallon foudre casks, 10% new
• ALCOHOL 14.8%
• PRODUCTION 961 cases

Related Articles:

Calling all Grenache Producers – Sept 23rd is #GrenacheDay. Vintner Opportunity to Pour at Greenhouse Walkaround Tasting

Part 4 of the “12 Days of Wine Christmas” Wine Clubs – A Review of Different Types and Benefits

A fair share of my Wine of the Week selections are chosen from microwineries, harder to find producers, geek or Rhone varieties, or wines over $20. That’s often what I drink, but certainly not all. It most especially does not represent, as I often remind my wine geek, fellow wine writers, and wine maker friends, what the mass population of North American wine drinkers consume.

I will often write about these as I remain dedicated to helping the typical wine lover and consumer, expand their horizons.  Wine knowledge is a journey of ever broadening discovery, no matter what your experience level, and I would pass on some of my ‘wasted’ years and eye opening experiences, and save readers only drinking big red overoaked wines for your first ten years, which sadly over the last 20 years the consumer has been lead to think is ‘good’.

However, even in the world of  mass market consumption, there ARE good wines you can find widely available, under $20, and just grab off the shelf.

The Dry Creek Vineyard Fumé Blanc is one of those. A price any budget can afford, a wine most wine consumers can enjoy (get over that ‘I don’t drink white wines’ stance  – its killing your growth,)  yet enough there for the experience wine consumer to enjoy, even if as a uber wine geek you’d ‘prefer’ a $30 ‘white’ 6 month skin contact Trousseau Gris.

About Dry Creek Vineyards

Dry Creek Vineyards is becoming one of those rare breed and size winery. Still family owned and operated since founded 39 years ago, as the winery that put Sauvignon Blanc on the map in north Sonoma County, they exist in a difficult space. At 100k+ cases they aren’t the sometimes more fashionable boutique winery, yet they are a fraction of the size of the BIG boys who make millions of cases a year. Only a handful of wineries exist in this size, and less and less each year. A visit to their tasting room and meeting the team, feels the same as the 20k case winery down the road.  Perhaps more another time, but do take a few minutes to read about one of Dry Creek Valley’s pioneers, that brings a piece of the Loire Valley, by clicking here and their love affair with sauvignon blanc here.

I visited with Bill Smart,  Director of Communications, several months ago and tasted through a series of wines. I should point out, Dry Creek Vineyards makes a number of small lot wines, including other sauvignon blancs, but by design for this tasting we wanted to focus on what consumers could find widely available. Do drop by the tasting room to try these – I will be.

 About Fumé Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is sometimes referred to as  Fume’ Blanc. Purportedly this started  when Robert Mondavi  in 1968, changed their Sauvignon Blanc from an off dry  to dry version. To not confuse their customers, they came up with the name “Fumé Blanc”, from Pouilly-Fumé, a  popular dry-style Loire Valley wines made from Sauvignon Blanc. Rather than trade marking the name, Mondavi offered to allow anyone to use the Fumé Blanc name to market dry-style Sauvignon Blanc.

Fumé is French for “smoke,” but has nothing to do with smoky flavor in the wine. It refers to morning fog in the Loire Valley. Any’ smokey’ smells or flavors are from aging in newer oak barrels, not from any aroma or flavor character that is in Sauvignon Blac. Although some wineries choose oak barrel fermentation and/or oak aging, the use of Fumé Blanc on a label does not mean the wine was barrel-fermented or ever contact any oak, although it’s a common misperception that it does. (Another spin is that sauvignon blanc didn’t sell, so Robert changed the name.)

Wine Review

Dry Creek Vineyards Fume Blanc (Sauvignon Blanc), Sonoma County

Welcome to the 39^th vintage of this flagship wine of Dry Creek Vineyards. This sauvignon blanc is entirely stainless fermented, with no oak contact.

To The Eye: Clear pale yellow

On the Nose: Fragant nose of white peach, honeysuckle, grapefruit

In The Mouth:  Citrus. Lime & grapefruit as well as some herbaceous  characters found in the popular New Zealand sauvignon blancs, but with some minerality as well as great acidity that give it a bit more nuance. The finish is dry and mouth watering. Would pair well with shellfish, salads, or make a great aperitif.

Recommendation: An excellent value at $12. This wine has justly received many awards over the years, including recent Best Buy from Wine Enthusiast and in 2008 was the prestigious Sonoma County Harvest Fair (which I am pleased to be added as a judge this year) Sweepstakes winner.

89 Points – Excellent, Recommended Buy.  Buy locally or online, or check your local store. Media Sample (but I will be restocking for summer and Thanksgiving.)

Side Note: I should add their <$10 Chenin Blanc, is also a great value at $8-10, and  varietal I wish we saw more of in Sonoma. I have the 2009 also in my glass, current release is 2010, or it could have also ended up as a Wine of the Week.

Wine Geek Info:

• Grapes 100% Sauvignon Blanc
• Appellation: Sonoma County
• Harvest: October 4, 2010
• Fermentation: Stainless steel fermented at an average of 52˚F for about 30 days
• Barrel Aging: None
• Alcohol: 13.5%
• Total Acidity: 0.64g/200mL
• pH: 3.36
• Residual Sugar: Dry
• Aging Potential: 3 – 5 years
• Case Production: ~30,000 cases

I am pleased to be one of the first to review the new Bonny Doon Vineyards 2010 Clos de Gilroy Grenache. The 2009 was one of my first “Wine of the Week’ in 2010 and it is again now. Regular readers know I am a huge fan of both Bonny Doon and Grenache – but that doesn’t make it a shoe in. If anything, since Grenache is one of my top varietals, I am quite hard when judging it. It’s a beautiful variety that often gets mistreated. (It’s not Cabernet, don’t make it like it is.)

About 2010 Clos de Gilroy

Per the iconic Randall Grahm:

‘The Wine Formerly Known as Clos de Gilroy ‘ or (TWFKaCdG) pays homage to the quaint, rustic town of Gilroy, the spiritual locus of all matters alliaceous. The fruit for our Grenache does not, despite its name, derive from Gilroy (clos,but no Cigare), but instead primarily from our former estate vineyard in Soledad and the Alta Loma vineyard in Greenfield, along with a sprinkling of other vineyards along the Central Coast. The wine exhibits all the hallmarks of exceptional cool climate Grenache.

Photo courtesy of Bonny Doon Vineyard

This is encouraging to someone in the middle of planting the first 500 of 1200 grenache vines in Russian River Valley, also a cooler climate.

At one point, wine maven and head of Direct to Consumer Sales, Meg Houston Maker, had scared me that there might not be a 2010, as Randall is uncompromising in what he puts his name, on. I was ecstatic to learn they did (only 2400 cases) and as I taste it side by side with a 2009 from my cellar, I am happy to report its wonderful.

Coming Up Soon – Day of the Doon IX, Sunday Sept 18th

Quick tangent – I am delighted to attend my first Day of the Doon, their annual wine club celebration will take place hosted at the new estate vineyard in San Juan Bautista. Randall Grahm will host a brief tour of their new plantings followed by a farm-to-table wine dinner celebrating the abundance of harvest. This event always sells out. Hope to meet some of you other Dewnstahs there!

Wine Review: 2010 Clos de Gilroy

To the Eye: Lively medium purple (a darker color than I might expect.)

One the Nose: Intense aromatics. Dark red fruits –   lots of raspberry, and some cherry. Spice.

In The Mouth: Light bodied, supple, balanced. Raspberry, cherry, touch of cranberry.  Presence of soft tannin on finish will allow this wine to pair with a wider variety of foods, as well as I suspect, bottle age nicely.

Recommendation: For $16-18 this wine is a must buy. 90 points. Great QPR (Quality Price Ratio.) Media Sample (although I will be buying more at Wine Club discount, I bought several cases of the 2009.)

This is my go to wine for ‘comfort wine’, crowd pleasers, and a wide food pairing range.  Randall recommends it with grilled meat or veggies, roasted poultry, or anything al fresco with olive oil.

Where to Buy:  Online at Bonny Doon, $18. At a few retail locations. K&L San Francisco currently has ~20 in stock

Wine Geek Info:

• Varietal Blend: 75% grenache, 13% cinsault, 12% syrah
• Appellation: Monterey County Alcohol by Volume: 13.1%
• TA: 4.8 g/L
• pH: 3.69
• Production: 2,384 cases

Related Articles:

‘Shipping Included’ – the Future of Direct to Consumer? An interview with Bonny Doon Vineyard

Wine of the Week – Bonny Doon Vineyard Vin Gris De Cigare, Rosé

Wine of the Week – Bonny Doon Vineyard 2009 “Clos de Gilroy” Grenache

Jon Bonné As Syrah falters, make way for Grenache

Ah, vacation. Just back from one, and its time to get Simple Hedonisms caught up on wine reviews and a backlog of event reports. Last weeks trip was to the central coast beach areas of Pismo & Avila Beach, and San Luis Obispo.

I had not visited any of these areas before, despite frequent journeys to nearby Paso Robles, so I took the time to explore. I loved all three, especially Avila.

After almost a solid month of wine related travel, this was, on pain of death,  not to be a winery visit vacation, so with some discipline I kept it to only four, all first visits.

One of these was Cypher, on the 5 hour drive home. I had a half case of Cypher wines to review I had just started working through, and upon invitation from the assistant winemaker, decided to pop in. This is the first of a series of tasting notes. If you are familiar with Cypher please post your comments and thoughts.

Cypher is an interesting story – orginally this was Four Vines, a 110,000 case/year producer, most well known for its trademarked ‘Naked” chardonnay.  Four Vines, along with Naked, and other wines were sold, to the Purple Wine Company, and born anew was Cypher, a 12,00 case winery with 4 employees. Cypher has a plethora of Rhone offers, as well as its well known Zins.

The tasting room in Templeton, a stones throw from Paso Robles, and the wines, are a recommended stop.

Wine Review – 2010 Cypher Winery Grenache Blanc, Paso Robles

To The Eye: Clear,  vibrant, a very light  yellow

On The Nose:  Crisp but slightly floral: White flowers, crisp,  lemon, hint of white peach

In The Mouth: Nice citrus and lemon notes, bright,  but not the sometimes overpowering, austere tone a GB can sometime be. Lingering, mouthwatering acidity. This is a well balanced wine, no signs of heat or astringency. 14.8% alcohol. Fermented in stainless, and dry.

Recommendations: Buy if you can. Technically its a wine club only wine. (I join wine clubs for reasons exactly like this.) $24. Media Sample. Outstanding  – 90 points.

Pair with fresh oysters, salads, or enjoy alone.

I was due to be in Portland for a pre-IPNC gathering, but thanks to a flight SNAFU had an extra evening at home, and thought ‘since I can’t be in Oregon tonight, let’s pull out a bottle of something from Oregon to sample instead.’

Oregon makes some of my favorite Pinot Gris, and I have two different releases of Kramer Vineyards 2009 Pinot Gris to taste through, lucky me. Tonight’s is the 2009 Kimberley’s Reserve, from Yamhill-Carlton.

Tasting Notes: Kramer Vineyards 2009 Pinot Gris Kimberley’s Reserve Yamhill-Carlton

To the Eye: Color of medium yellow straw.

To The Nose: Aromas lime peel and citrus, with hints of wet stone, and ripe stone fruits.

In The Mouth: Aged in neutral oak and 9 months on the lees, gives this Pinot Gris nice weight and mouth feel. A delight of lemon custard, fresh pineapple, medium bodied and round in the mid palate, smooth and lingering finish from acidity.

Recommendation: A Pinot Gris with complexity. A delight to pair with shellfish. Only 145 cases made. Media sample – price not yet listed on website. Highly recommend.